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(No Modem W. H. GILMAN. GOIN OPERATED MERCHANDISE HOLDER.

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W. H, GILMAN. G01N OPEEATED MERCHANDISE HOLDER.

No. 402,920. Patented May 7. 1889.

W-NSE-E MUXENTM y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLARD H. GILMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GIL- MAN CONFEOTIONERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-OPERATED MERCHANDISE-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,920, dated May 7, 1889.

Application led June 9, 1888. Serial No. 276,629. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD H. GILMAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Operated Merchandise-Holders, of which the following is a specication.

This invention has for its obj ect to provide a simple and reliable means for releasing one 1o by one a series of packages'from a receptacle or holder by the insertion of coins in said holder, each coin permitting the release of one and only one of the packages or articles of merchandise with which the receptacle is supplied.

The invention consists in the several improvements relating to coin-operated locking devices which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

zo Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a rear elevation of a casing or package-receptacle provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a section on liner a', Fig. l. Fig.

2 5 3 represents a front elevation. Fig. 4t represents a section on line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the coin-operated locking-lever. Fig.

3o 7 represents a perspective view of the package-receiving drawer detached. Figs. S and 9 represent views of a modication. Fig. 10 is a detail view of a portion of the chute, showing the branch thereof. Fig. l1 represents a 3 5 section of a part of the chute, showing` the swinging catch therein.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a casing 4o adapted to conta-in a vertical column of packages of confectionery or other articleof merchandise. The casing is preferably subdivided by vertical partitions 'b into several compartments or receptacles, c, each adapted to hold a column of packages, d. As each compartment or receptacle embodies all of the improvements constituting my invention a description of one receptacle and the devices appertaining thereto will be sufficient. c represents a drawer which is iitted to slide in and out of the casing and is located at the lower end of the receptacle c, the drawer being formed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, to hold the bottom package of the column, so that when the drawer is unlocked, as hereinafter described, and drawn out from the casing the lower package will be moved forward by the drawer, so that it can be removed. The drawer lis provided with an elevated rest or support,

drawer, said cords passing around pulleys c' i 7o in the casing. I do not limit myself to this arrangement of devices for automatically closing the drawer, but may use any suitablyarranged spring or system of springs, or, if preferred, a weight to accomplish said result. The drawer is locked, when closed, by means of a lever, j, pivo'ted to the rear portion of the' drawer at k, and having at one end a dog, j which automatically engages a mortise or recess, m, in the bottom piece on which 8o the drawer rests. The other end of said lever stands under a chute, fn, which extends downwardly from the front of the casing, and. is formed to conduct a coin of a given size from its receiving end at the front of the casing to the lever j, the coin dropping upon the rear end of said lever and by its weight raising the dog j out of engagement with the recess m, and thus releasing the drawer. The forward end of the lever j is located in a cavity, 9o o, in the drawer, and is prevented by said cavity from being raised by the weight of the coin far enough to permit the coin to drop from the rear end of the lever, said rear end being thus retained in position to keep the coin in the lower end of the chute until the drawer has been moved forward enough to prevent the dog j from re-engaging with the recess m. Each coin is thus retained in place to keep the drawer unlocked until the drawer has been moved outwardly, this movement withdrawing the lever j from under the IOO chute n, and permitting the coin to drop through a hole, p, into a money-receptacle, q, below the package-receptacle.

The chute is provided with a branch, n, which is formed to receive coins of smaller size than those for which the packages are to be exchanged, said chute being arranged to drop the coins passing through it through a hole, r, Fig. 5, into the moneyreccptacle q. It will be seen, therefore, that if a coin which is smaller than the one by which the proprietor of the apparatus intends the drawer to be un locked is inserted in the chute said smaller coin will not reach the locking device, but will fall into the money-receptacle without producing any effect. l

To prevent the depression oi. the lcvcrj by means of a wire inserted in the chute, I bend the latter, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and pro vide it at its bent portion with an orifice, s, which is in line with the straight upper portion of the chute, and prevents a wire from passing through the bent portion of the chut-e by permitting said wire to pass out of the chute at the bend thereof.

t represents a dog or catch, which is pivoted in one side of the chute, and is adapted to yield or swing outwardly to permit a downwardly-moving coin to pass by it, but prevents the upward movelnent of a coin through the chute. An attempt to defraud by lowering a coin through the chute by a string and then withdrawing the coin by the string after unlocking the drawer would be frustrated by the said dog or catch, which would engage the coin in its upward movement and prevent its withdrawal.

The .catch t should be located so near the locking-lever that a coin held by a string cannot be drawn up to the catch and then allowed to drop with sufficient force to unlock the drawer.

To indicate when the supply of packages is exhausted, I place at the top of the column a sign block or piece, u, on the front of which is the word E1npty, or other word or words of like import. The front of the drawer is provided with a light of glass, fu, through which said sign is visible when it reaches the drawer.

It is obvious that the described improvements relating to the chute may be used in connection with a coin-operated locking device for releasing the mechanism of a fingerpull or any analogous apparatus.

Instead of providing the chute n with a branch, n', to divert smaller coins, a slot may be made in said chute through which such coins may fall into any desired portion of the casing.

Instead of the raised portion e on the drawer e, a system of lazy-tongs, Z t l t, may be provided, connecting the drawer with a fixed part of the casing a behind it, as shown in Fig. 8, said lazy-tongs being extended by the outward movement of the drawer and constituting a support for the lower package of the column when the drawer is moved out with the package it holds.

I claiml The combination, with the receptacle having the series of front columns, of the sliding drawers having each a iront hollow portion and a rear rest or support, the springs secured in rear of said columns, the cords connected to said drawers and to said springs, and the rollers around which said cords are passed, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-operated packagediolder, the combination, with the receptacle having a scries of front columns and recesses in its lower portion, of the spring-held drawers having cavities in their lower rear ends, the short horizontally-disposed levers fulcrumed in said cavities and having their rear ends projecting beyond said drawers, each lever being provided with a dog to engage in one of said recesses, and the chutes, substantially as described.

3. As an improvement in coin operated package-holders, the combination, with the receptacle having recesses in its lower portion,

of the series of spring-held drawers havingl cavities in their lower portion, the levers fulcrumed in said cavities and having their rear ends projecting beyond said drawers, and the narrow chutes opening over the ends of said levers, substantially as described, whereby a coin placed in either of said chutes will hold one of said levers tilted until the drawer is opened, as set forth.

4. The combination, with the receptacle h aving a money-receiving drawer provided with an aperture therein, of the series of springheld drawers having cavities in their rear ends, the levers pivoted therein and engaging recesses in said receptacle, and the chutes opening over said levers above the aperture of the moneydrawer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses, this (5th day of June, A. D. 1888.

WILLARD Il. GILMAN.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRisoN.

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